Lord

Rock-firm and Faithful

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“You’re all I want in heaven!
You’re all I want on earth!
When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
God is rock-firm and faithful.
Look! Those who left you are falling apart!
Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again.
But I’m in the very presence of God—
oh, how refreshing it is!
I’ve made Lord God my home.
God, I’m telling the world what you do!” (Psalm 73:25-28, The Message)

Even to old age, God is faithful. When every last vestige of youth is gone, God remains the same. When everything in this world that we thought would sustain us is taken away, God is true to His word and true to us. Ultimately, when we leave this world we can take nothing with us but the faith that sustains us and the people we were faithful to share the gospel with.

I love the part in the gospel where Jesus has lost the majority of His followers after He told them some hard truths. He then turns to His disciples and asks if they’re leaving as well. Peter says, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life” (John 6:68, NLT).

Where else is there to go? Any other religion is bankrupt and false. Any other belief system leads nowhere and does nothing. The only way which guarantees us real and eternal life is the way of Jesus and the way to Jesus and the way through Jesus to the Father. He said that He’s the only way, the only truth, and the only life not because He was being exclusive but because He was being truthful. There is no other way.

So Lord, at the end of the day, You’re all I want in heaven and on earth. Long past when I’m gone from this world, You will still be faithful and true. You will still have the words of eternal life. May everyone who trusts in Your name always be faithful to love Your name and share Your name with all the world from now until You return. Amen.

A Little Matter of Discipline

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“Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth” (Hosea 6:1-3).

Something you probably haven’t heard many sermons on lately is the discipline of God. It’s not seeker-friendly. It’s not warm and fuzzy theology that makes everyone feel good and loved. But it’s the truth.

God disciplines those He loves. Just like my parents used to discipline me when I got out of line or acted in a way that wasn’t smart or heathy, they let me know quickly that bad decisions have consequences. God wants us to know that our sin has consequences and affects other people other than just us.

It’s not something I would have put in the Bible, but God knows it’s something I needed. I’ve learned that not everything that seems good to me is good for me, and somethings that are unpleasant are often the very best for me in terms of getting me to look more like Jesus and more like the true authentic self that God created me to be.

I’m thankful for tough love that doesn’t let me dwell in my bad habits and addictions. I’m thankful that God loves me enough to tell me no sometimes and to let me suffer the fallout of my bad decisions. Often, we learn from seeing others who have made poor choices, suffered for it, and now what they thought they’d never tell a living soul is now the first line of their testimony.

I do believe that God loves us just the way we are, but I also believe God loves us too much to leave us that way. He’s bringing us out of the mess we’ve made for ourselves into the glorious light of His kingdom and making us a people that can declare His praises to the nations. Whatever we go through will be worth it when we see the end results and see what God did in us and through us for His glory.

Spiritual Pivot

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Starting this Sunday, my church will be temporarily meeting in a new location. We’re doing some upgrades and improvements to our sanctuary, so we can’t meet in the building for a few weeks. That means that we’ll be in the Fisher Center at Belmont University for a bit, then over to Sevier Park for an outdoor worship service.

It will be different, and different isn’t necessarily bad. Sometimes, different can be a good thing. I imagine people that have no connection to The Church at Avenue South might be intrigued by Sunday services on the Belmont campus. Some people might be driving by the park one Sunday and see a bunch of people gathered in worship. People who might not step foot in our present location might still hear the gospel and see the tangible love of Jesus on display.

That’s definitely a good thing. I know ideally in a perfect world, all the improvements would have been completed before we moved into the present location. But as my pastor always says, this is a beautiful but broken world we’re living in, so perfect doesn’t exist. Still, God can take what’s less than perfect and work good from it.

I imagine when the people of God first arrived into their new homes in Babylon, it took some adjusting. They had lost everything they knew and loved back home and were completely unfamiliar with their new surroundings in Babylon. But what did God say? He said to plant gardens and get married and have lots of kids. You’re going to be here for a while.

In our case, the exile is only for four weeks, but God is reminding us that the Church is not brick and mortar or a location. It’s the people of God gathered to proclaim the praises of God and live out the purposes of God through the preaching of the Word and worship. We are the living stones that make up God’s dwelling place in this world.

Right now around the world, people are gathering together in homes and in sheds and under a canopy of trees to worship. Some aren’t allowed to have large gatherings. Some don’t have a building to meet in. But they are serving and singing to and loving the same God as the ones meeting in megachurches. It’s the same Holy Spirit power that lives inside of them that lives inside the ones sitting in comfortable chairs in air-conditioned buildings.

It’s like in the Christmas Vacation movie when the kid asks how Santa will know where to find them since they’re staying with the Griswolds. Church isn’t like that. The Holy Spirit knows exactly where to go on Sunday when the people of God are temporarily displaced. God is still showing up and we can still experience that presence if we’re prepared and prayed up.

Thank You, Lord, that wherever Your people are gathered in Your name, even if it’s only two or three, You’re there in the midst of them. Make Your name famous wherever we are, whether it’s at 901 Acklen Avenue or 2020 Belmont Boulevard or 3021 Lealand Lane. Do what only You can do and draw people to Yourself and thank You that we get to be a part of it. Amen.

Waiting with Hope

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“There are times when everything looks very dark to me——-so dark that I have to wait before I have hope.Waiting with hope is very difficult, but true patience is expressed when we must even wait for hope. When we see no hint of success but refuse to despair, when we see nothing but the darkness of night through our window yet keep the shutters open because stars may appear in the sky, and when we have an empty place in our heart yet will not allow it to be filled with anything less then God’s best—- that is the greatest kind of patience in the universe. It is the story of Job in the midst of the storm, Abraham on the road to Moriah, Moses in the desert of Midian, and the Son of Man in the garden of Gethsemane. There is no patience as strong as that which endures because we see ‘him who is invisible’ (Hebrews 11:27). It is the kind of patience that waits for hope.

Dear Lord, You have made waiting beautiful and patience divine.You have taught us that Your will should be accepted, simply because it is Your will. You have revealed to us that a person may see nothing but sorrow in his cup yet still be willing to drink it because of a conviction that Your eyes see further then his own.

Father, give me Your divine power—- the power of Gethsemane. Give me the strength to wait for hope—to look through the window when there are no stars. Even when my joy is gone, give me strength to stand victoriously in the darkest night and say, ‘To my Heavenly Father, the sun still shines.’ I will have reached the point of greatest strength once I have learned to wait for hope. Strive to be one of the few who walk this earth with the ever present realization– every morning, noon, and night that the unknown that people call heaven is directly behind those things that are visible(Galatians 5:5). By faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope” (George Matheson).

Easter Sunday 2026

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The empty tomb means everything. It means that Jesus is not dead and buried but alive and reigning. It means that Jesus defeated death, the grave, and hell forever. It means that there’s nothing you and I will ever face that hasn’t already been overcome by the cross and the empty tomb.

The Apostle Paul says that if Jesus isn’t alive and raised from the dead, it’s all meaningless. Our faith is futile and our hope is in vain. We’re the most pitiful people on the planet. He doesn’t make any allowances for a symbolic resurrection. If Jesus is only alive in our hearts and in our memories, then our faith is worthless and we might as well go and do what we like and believe in nothing at all.

But because Jesus is alive, our hope is alive. Our pain and suffering now have a purpose as well as an expiration date. Those we lost in the Lord are not gone forever. All the wrong and evil in the world will one day be made right and good. We can survive anything because we look to Jesus who endured the cross and despised the shame because He was looking at the joy just over the horizon beyond the tomb.

Easter gives meaning to Christmas (and everything else). Jesus is not a good teacher who gave us good morals and examples to follow. He is Messiah who fulfilled all the prophecies ever made about Him. He is Lord of all who demands our ultimate allegiance. He is God incarnate, 100% man and 100% God. He is the only one who can take our place on the cross and our punishment for the sins we’ve committed.

If Jesus is dead, then Easter is nothing but a hollow holiday with no meaning. But if He is alive — and He is — then Easter is the day we celebrate the best good news ever. That means that we who were dead can be made alive again. We who were guilty and deserving of death can be forgiven and pardoned and set free. We who were condemned and estranged from God can now become sons and daughters of God and heirs to the promise. Thank You, Lord, for Easter Sunday!

Gatekeepers or Grace Givers

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I think if we’re not careful, we can become gatekeepers of the grace of God. I read recently we judge ourselves by our intentions but others by their actions. In other words, we’re more lenient with ourselves than with others. I see a lot of professing believers posting about how they hope the other person gets karma (which almost always seems to be for somebody other than me).

It’s especially evident when it comes to people we don’t like or with people who think and vote differently than I. It’s almost as if God’s grace exists with exceptions for Donald Trump (or his supporters) and Kamala Harris (and her supporters). We make grace something you have to earn instead of a free gift.

But the truth is that no one is worthy of God’s grace and mercy, but everyone is welcome to it. I’ll say it again because someone out there (maybe me) needs to hear it again: no one is worthy of God’s grace and mercy but everyone is welcome to it.

That means that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. With no exceptions. Anyone who acknowledges their sin and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, believes in Him by repenting of their sins and turning to His free gift of salvation, and confesses Him before others will be saved.

I think I get judgmental when I forget how it took the same amount of Jesus’ blood to save me as it took to save anyone else in history. It took all of it. I was (and still am) as much in need of the grace of God to save me and sustain me as anyone else who has ever lived.

The gospel means that no one is too lost to be found, too messed up to find grace, or too far gone to be saved. That’s the hope for the world and the message that every believer has to share with anyone who has ears to hear.

Don’t Be Anxious About Tomorrow

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“Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strengths” (C. H. Spurgeon).

“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:33-34, The Message).

The key is a shift in focus. Instead of dwelling on what you lack, dwell on the abundance of God’s resources. Instead of worrying about what may or may not happen tomorrow, focus on what’s in front of you today and remember that the same God who is present with you today is already present in the tomorrow that you’re so worried about.

So far, I’ve found the best way to keep my heart and mind focused on God is to recall as many attributes of God as I can call to mind. It’s also helpful to let worship music permeate your mind as you bring to mind the many promises of God in the old hymns and the newer worship songs.

I love the quote that says that the cure for anxiety is adoration. That’s worship. That involves singing but it also involves every aspect of your day-to-day living. Make it all an offering to God. Let your whole life be a praise to the Almighty. Take every anxious thought captive and make it obedient to Christ, trading it for His perfect peace.

Lord, so many of us are anxious. It’s our default setting. We don’t mean to be, but we often worry without even trying to or meaning to. Lord, we bring our anxious thoughts to You and ask for Your peace in return. Bless us this night with Your presence and keep us in the center of Your will. Amen.

A Prayer for America

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This is not original, and it is a bit lengthy, but it is worth the extra time to read. I think what this nation needs more than any Republican or Democrat answers is revival and spiritual awakening in the hearts of the people of God first and foremost, followed by many of the lost in our land coming to faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Let your revival fall in our time and in our land, and let it begin in me.

“Let’s Pray for America:

Father, we plead the blood of Jesus over our nation, and call on the power and the presence of God to sever all cords that would cause principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places to control the leaders of our nation in local, federal, and executive offices in our generations. Father, give us godly leaders who will carry on the heritage of the dedication of our nation to Jesus our Lord. Father, Your Word, the Bible, said that when godly men reign, the people rejoice. It also says that the people cry out under the rule of the ungodly, deliver us from the oppression of the ungodly, and appoint us Christ centered, bible believing, righteous, godly leaders to rule.

Have mercy on our nation, forgive the sins of our forefathers and those of our present generation. Forgive us for every law that builds strongholds in the mindsets of the present and upcoming generations through perversion and the bloodshed of the innocent. Remove from our eyes the veils and scales of welcoming false religions and idolatry into our nation. Let all leaders who promote idolatry, sexual perversion, illegal activity be delivered and exposed immediately and be delt with. Let every under-cover agenda of the enemy which promotes, satanic networks, racist spirits, witchcraft, antichrist spirit rising in political and religious offices be exposed and be delt with.

Let every agenda set to hinder, cause compromise, and calls for persecution against those who preach the gospel of Jesus Christ be judged.

Father, we pray for the people and leaders of our nation that they might live peaceable lives in goodness and honesty (1 Tim. 2:1-2). Raise up leaders in our nation who will worship and serve You (Psalm 72:11). Raise up leaders who will help the poor and needy find deliverance (Psalm 72:12-13). We declare that there is no deliverance without Jesus. Father, we pray for revival on Capitol Hill that will cause America to sing a new song of praise to Jesus our Lord. (Psalm 96:1-3). Raise up leaders in our nation who will call the people to tremble before the Lord. Give us leaders who love your Word, listen to your Word, obey your Word, who will cause ethe families of our nation to be blessed (Gal. 3:14).

Let your glory be declared among the people of our nation and let the healing waters flow in our nation (Ezekiel 47:9). We pray for repentance that will bring healing to the land, and that every leader in this nation will submit their rule to the reign of Jesus Christ. Jesus is Lord over America and the nations. In Jesus name we pray Amen” (Fady Al-Hagal).

An Evening Prayer

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“Lord, we come to You not because you are our last hope, but because You are our first love.

We’re not waiting to come to You only when we think there’s nothing else we can do. We’re coming to You *before we do anything at all* because waiting on You is *wisest* of all. We trust You to work all this out in Your good time — because that will be the best time, and You are only good and You hold all time. *Kneeling the most lets us stand the bravest.* Tonight we kneel and lay our painful problems in Your hands and thank You for the perfect peace You put in our hearts.

In Jesus’ name, Amen. #EveningPrayer#RestinginHisWord” (Ann Voskamp).

Lord, I confess that I only come to You when I need something. Often, You are my last resort. I acknowledge that when everything is going well, I simply don’t see my need for You. It’s only when life gets difficult and stressful that I finally manage to look up to You.

Thank You for being patient with me. You have shown me more mercy than I deserve. If You treated me the way I treat You most of the time, I probably wouldn’t be here. I’d definitely be a lot worse off than I am.

But Your word says that You are faithful even when I’m faithless. You continue to work in me even when I don’t work at all. You honor Your promise to complete what You started in me even when I make promises to You that I don’t keep.

I know that I can look back and see growth. I can see change. I can see that in the past, my lackadaisical faith wouldn’t have bothered me nearly as much as it does now. I can see that I am more committed to You than I was last year or in the last decade.

Lord, make me more like You. Period.

The Whole Gospel

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“There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this, if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and, specially, of Our Lord’s own words; it has always been held by Christendom; and it has the support of reason. If a game is played, it must be possible to lose it. If the happiness of a creature lies in self-surrender, no one can make that surrender but himself (though many can help him to make it) and he may refuse. I would pay any price to be able to say truthfully “All will be saved.” But my reason retorts, ‘Without their will, or with it?’ If I say ‘Without their will’ I at once perceive a contradiction; how can the supreme voluntary act of self-surrender be involuntary? If I say ‘With their will,’ my reason replies ‘How if they will not give in?’. . .

The doors of Hell are locked on the inside. I do not mean that the ghosts may not wish to come out of Hell, in the vague fashion wherein an envious man ‘wishes’ to be happy: but they certainly do not will even the first preliminary stages of that self-abandonment through which alone the soul can reach any good. They enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded, and are therefore self-enslaved: just as the blessed, forever submitting to obedience, become through all eternity more and more free” (C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain).

If we want to be true to the true gospel, we have to be true to the Word of God. If we are true to the Word of God, then we must believe that there is a hell as much as there is a heaven. There is no universal salvation. Some will be saved, some will not.

Jesus mentions that the road to life is narrow, and few find it. He then proceeds to say that the road to destruction is broad, and many are on it. As much as I want to believe that everyone is on their way to heaven, I can’t deny these words of Jesus.

That’s why the offer of the gospel still stands. To whomever will repent of their sins and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, God will grant them eternal life. God will save anyone who calls on Him in faith. God is not willing that you should perish but that you should be saved.

You can pray a prayer like this: “Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. I know I’m separated from you. I deeply regret and repent of my sin. I turn to You in faith and receive you now as my Lord and Savior. I commit myself to following You for the rest of my days and to obeying whatever You ask of me from now until eternity. Thank You for saving me. Amen”